Hdtv Guide

The HDTV tsunami continues to wash over the consumer electronics industry, and these big-picture machines are fast becoming everyday mainstream products. Last year's holiday season saw HDTV sales take off, and this year will likely continue that trend. So, if you missed the HDTV Express last year and have decided to get onboard this time around, we've got some general buying tips, as well as several HDTV recommendations to fit just about every budget.

We start off with a set of buying choices you should make before you ever set foot in an electronics store. Then we present quick review of the upsides and downsides of each HDTV display technology. This piece is an update to our original The ExtremeTech Guide to Buying HDTV, which you should check out if you'd like a deeper primer on HDTV technology.

If you've decided this is the year your life goes HD, put the checkbook or credit card down for now and let us walk you through the following decisions: Consider your budget. HDTVs have come down significantly in price, but they are still a substantial investment of several thousand dollars or more. You should set a hard price ceiling for yourself and resolve to stay under it. This price should include all your accessories like a stand, cabling, and hanging hardware if your HDTV is going to be wall-bound. You should also factor in the added cost of getting some kind of HDTV cable or satellite service, since it will likely necessitate a new receiver box. Consider how much room you have and whether you want to wall-mount your HDTV. Where are you planning to deploy your HDTV? If it's in an entertainment center, get out the tape measure and figure out what your maximum dimensions are. You should allow at least an inch or two above the unit, since almost all HDTVs, irrespective of underlying technology, generate a fair amount of heat. Consider light--not from the HDTV, but from the room where it will live. Think about whether the room gets a lot of sun during the day and whether you can easily control the room's ambient light.

Having answers to these questions will help guide your choice of display technology. Several technologies are available, including plasma, LCD flat-panel, rear-projection TV (RPTV), and CRT. Each has its unique set of trade-offs. The choice comes down to what looks best to your eyes, and no two viewers see exactly the same thing. But beware: Most HDTVs in stores are dialed up to showroom settings, so be sure to check the color and brightness before you buy. Here are some key points about each technology:

Direct-view CRTs These deliver the best bang for the buck today. Some 26-inch widescreen units cost under $700, such as the Samsung TXP2675WH. A higher-end, 34-inch unit will cost about $2K, and should offer exceptional image quality. But that same unit will be over 24 inches deep and weigh close to 300 pounds.

CRT Rear Projection TVs These can be exceptional deals, with some 42-inch units costing less than $1,000. However, if you want the image quality that CRTs can deliver, you'll need to spend closer to $2,000. They're also bulky and heavy. CRT rear projectors have three tubes, and burn-in can be an issue.

Plasma Display Panels (PDPs) can look gorgeous and offer the best image detail of non-CRT technologies in darkly lit scenes, but they aren't especially bright. Previous generations have had problems with image burn-in and relatively short life spans. Improvements in the technology have rendered burn-in much less of an issue than in the past, and panel lifetimes have been substantially extended, with current units offering up to 60,000 hours to half-brightness. Keep in mind that half-brightness now is as bright as the full brightness of earlier generations. Larger panels can get very expensive, with prices topping $10,000. The least expensive plasmas offering true high-definition resolution still cost $4,000 or more.

Recently reviewed and recommended: Pioneer PureVision PRO-1110HD 50" Plasma Television The Skinny: Expensive as all get-out, but the best looking display we've seen come through our HDTV test lab yet. If you can stomach the tab, the 1100HD provides a visual feast you can savor for years to come. Review of the Pioneer PureVision PRO-1110HD 50" Plasma Television

Recently reviewed and recommended: NEC 61XM2+ The Skinny: If you can afford it, this display offers exceptional image quality in a thin form factor. If you crave a big high-definition display, but want the simplicity of a flat screen, be sure to check this out LCD Panels These are the brightest displays, and that brightness, coupled with vivid colors and svelte shapes, makes them very attractive. But LCDs have trouble rendering details in dark scenes, and black levels typically aren't as dark as those seen on plasma-based panels, which can be substantially larger. Some older LCD panels have fairly slow response time, which can lead to streaking in high-motion video. If you're considering an LCD-based panel, be sure to put some high-action movie or sports scene on your list of test material to ensure the panel you're considering has fast enough response time. LCD panels vary widely in terms of overall image quality, so you'll need to spend some good eyeball time with any LCD you're considering before deciding.

Recently reviewed and recommended: Sharp Aquos LC-37G4U HDTV The Skinny: Sharp makes some of the best LCDs in the business, and the 37-inch LC is no exception. Expect to pay a bit more for the Aquos name, but this panel delivers very impressive performance for around $3,500. Review of the Sharp Aquos LC-37G4U HDTV.

Recently reviewed and recommended: Syntax Olevia LT30HV The Skinny: A relative newcomer to the HDTV game, the Syntax Group's Olevia LCD panel delivered impressive performance that exceeds its $1,700 price-tag. If you're looking to dip your toes in the HDTV waters, the Olevia LT30HV will help you ease your way in. Review of the Syntax Olevia LT30HV.

Digital RPTVs A microprojection RPTV gives you the biggest screen size for the least amount of money. These use micromirror devices such as Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), or a transmissive technology such as LCD polysilicon panels. But they also vary widely in overall quality, and many don't get especially bright. Depending on the microdisplay technology used, other image quality issues can creep up as well.

Recently reviewed and recommended: Samsung HL-P5063W The Skinny: With a street price around $2,600, the HL-P5063W is a good value for a 50-inch RPTV. The chassis is still fairly compact so this set won't consume your entire living room. Just be sure to set the vertical viewing angle so that watching it straight on gives best results. Review of the Samsung HL-P5063W 50-inch DLP HDTV. What good is a spiffy new HDTV if you don't have any HD content to watch on it? You could run out and buy a D-VHS high-definition VCR, but that's linear media, and probably not long for this world once HD-DVD and Blu-Ray arrive some time next year. Until those new media types are on the scene, you'll probably want to consider a subscription to get HDTV content piped into your home via either cable or satellite.

Over-the-Air (OTA) HDTV is a good place to start, provided the HDTV you buy has a built-in ATSC tuner or you have an external terrestrial tuner, such as the Samsung SIR-T451. The reception you get will vary greatly depending on your distance from the transmission towers, and the number of obstructions (buildings, hills,) between you and the tower. Sites like AntennaWeb will help you choose the right HDTV antenna for your location and local topography and tell you exactly where your local transmitters are so you know where to point it.

The good news is that a terrestrial signal costs nothing, and offers the widest array of HDTV broadcast content, with the possible exception of the new VOOM satellite service. Many stations are broadcasting multiple sub-channels, and you can find an amazing array of content from sources such as PBS and HDNet. However, premium channels--high definition movie channels and ESPN HD--are not available over the air.

VOOM currently has the most well-rounded lineup of HDTV content, consisting of about 35 HD channels, including some unique content and a variety of premium offerings. We took a look at the VOOM HDTV service recently, and came away with a mixed bag of impressions. VOOM's receiver box includes an OTA ATSC tuner, so you can get local OTA HDTV transmissions in addition to VOOM's HD lineup. On the one hand, VOOM offers terrific content, though currently there's no DVR available, so you're back to having to watch TV in real-time. For TiVo users, this could well be a deal-breaker. VOOM is planning on deploying an HD DVR, but it won't arrive until some time next year.

Dish Network on the other hand does have an HD DVR, although its price starts at around $1,000. It's something of mixed bag: It's a large, somewhat noisy unit, though it does ship with two satellite HD tuners and a terrestrial tuner.

If you want an actual TiVo for high-definition recording, you'll need to go with DirecTV's version of TiVo (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1683851,00.asp). The "DirectTiVo" software still sets the standard for usability. If you're a TiVo addict, a DirecTV customer, and you have HDTV, this unit is for you. But there's a known issue with defective HDMI ports on the DVRs, and about 15% are defective. And, it lacks the newer Series II TiVo features, such as Internet accessibility and remote programming. It's currently the only game in town, so if you want your HDTV, and you want a DVR too, then this is your best (and only) choice at this point.

A variety of cable TV (CATV) providers are also offering HDTV for their customers, though coverage isn't universal yet. Some regions even offer HDTV DVR capability. You'll need to check with your local cable TV provider to find out if it's rolled out high definition in your area. HDTV is still evolving, and will no doubt continue to grow. In 2004, 50% of HDTVs sold had built-in HDTV tuners. By mid-2005, 100% of all HDTVs will be required by FCC mandate to have embedded HDTV tuners. Once tuner availability hits full penetration of new units sold, we'll likely see an avalanche of new content. Already, DirecTV has repurposed several satellites that were slated for data transmission and converted them to high-definition broadcasting. Those will be launched in the coming year.

So the transition is well under way. In the coming year, HDTVs will improve and hardware prices will drop. The only question is: When will you hop on the bandwagon?

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in ExtremeTech.

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